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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Another great day in the Pyrenees 2018 (2 Viewers)

Starsky and Hutch in Luz - Police caught burglars in one of the bike shops who then rammed the police car to knock it out and escaped towards Lourdes - the police fired a volley of bullets at the car but didn't stop it nor the burglars!!!
 
Some prize birds today - starting with the black shouldered kite guarding his nest and culminating with a stunning Egyptian Vulture! Great stuff. Last night made a short tour for the Scops Owl which was happily chirping away behind the church c. midnight. The chicks should be off the nest soon...

Spotted Flycatchers seemingly doing well in the garden.
 
Starsky and Hutch in Luz - Police caught burglars in one of the bike shops who then rammed the police car to knock it out and escaped towards Lourdes - the police fired a volley of bullets at the car but didn't stop it nor the burglars!!!

A neighbour caught them in the act and scared them off (he got his shotgun out) they then fled but the police didn't catch them in the village - they then set up a road block in Lourdes which the lorry smashed through under a volley of bullets from the police - got away....
 
A neighbour caught them in the act and scared them off (he got his shotgun out) they then fled but the police didn't catch them in the village - they then set up a road block in Lourdes which the lorry smashed through under a volley of bullets from the police - got away....

Strewth - perhaps we should bring flak jackets in September!
 
No flak jackets required!

4,400 Black Kites over Soulor yesterday - couple of days bad weather and there was a back log. First Honeys of the season as well (2), one Osprey so far. Looking forward to Wednesday for my trip up there...

Another Hoopoe Saturday in Lourdes whilst having lunch. Great stuff.
 
Made it to the Soulor but the expectation was better than the result. There was a fair bit of cloud cover in the valley so birds were reluctant to migrate. It was a shame because higher up was sunny.It also makes for easy spotting in the sense that birds stand out and there are more features in the sky for locating birds - if that makes sense.

So quiet to begin with with a handful of birds. A positive was the wind direction bringing birds up the valley and close to us. A couple of smaller groups past 30-40 birds - then one big group arrived just getting bigger and bigger - 203 and 63 'my side'. I always get excited with number like this although they can be difficult to count as they weren't passing uniformly!

A couple of Egyptians put in an appearance but none breeding - been a bit of a disaster for the breeding birds this year - I think only two pairs have been successful - add to that failed Golden Eagles, Lammies, our Eagle Owls - it seems the bad weather in May and the beginning of June has a lot to answer for!

Finally a Hobby blasted over or should I say under very close to the ground and very fast hunting - contrary to the above a new pair has set us locally so there are daily sightings - normally rare during breeding season. Also a pair of Short Toed Eagles although again they think these are non-breeders.

Interestingly the Tour de France passes over the Soulor today and there were camping cars everywhere and flags and ofcourse cyclists. Has Froome got anything left to make a move will Dumulin stay close enough to take the time trial and lead on Saturday?
 
Another two weeks of hell - working in the heat which thankfully gave for a couple of days but now back to sunny skies!

Birding has been limited but managed a short walk round the lake and scored a Green Sand, LRP (which with the earlier flooding I though they would have abandoned but there was at least one young bird, Common Sand but little else at the moment.

Then a half day around Gavarnie - we were Lammy hunting but the weather was shocking - after trying all the angles trying to find a break in the cloud - it felt like high was the way to go but it was soup all the way up - finally the cloud lifted just enough to see the cliff and with a little searching I found an adult perched about 50 metres from the nest. He she obliged by moving a bit nearer and then two others passed over. Some I sumising that this is the second year that 3 adults have helped with the nest - it can't be uncommon because the Gedre pair is also a triple - interesting. A brief Short Toed on the way home and a glimpse of a Peregrine but couldn't pick it up. Great morning although had to work for it - it was also so obvious how rusty I am with all the contact calls of the young and the funny noises they were making - the young wheatear almost sounding like Citril Finch! Migration has started with a couple of Whitethroat and seemed to be small flocks of thrushes - too high to identify but surely too early for thrushes?

I should add had the pleasure of spending a morning with a great guy and birder from the Wirral. He was really enthusiastic, despite the really poor conditions, and pretty talented too - it was great to be with someone of that ability albeit a little intimidating! I was just happy that we finally scored with the Lammy(s)...

Finally a trip tp the airport to collect the girls who return after their holidays. I took the dog and wandered around the fields first. RB Shrike and an adult Black Shouldered Kite around nest. Then on the other side an adult and young Black Shouldered Kite awesome! It had to be a little far to be from the nest so maybe there are two nests in the area. Things were rounded off with a couple of Fan Tailed Warblers.

Work should be slowing down in a couple of weeks and I can relax with Dragnil.....
 
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Citril Finch easy peasy....

Soulor for an hour or so today. Weather not too good but we stayed nr Argeles so took the opportunity to head up. Also I had been suspicious about a Vulture that headed in that direction! I got there to told that a Black Vulture had gone down and was hidden somewhere below the col, hmmm. Anyway, I kept my eye in that direction. A few difficult groups of Black Kite (101 the biggest) could be seen but distant - there was blue sky in the Estaing valley so I guess they were heading that way instead of ours.

There were 2 Egyptian Vultures about and then could see the vultures circling in the opposite direction and coming down on something. Sure enough I picked up the Black Vulture in and amongst them. Great!

This was followed by a Peregrine and a Booted Eagle.

A great way to spend a couple of hours...
 

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Acting on a hunch I decided the lake at Argeles was the place to be today. Weather had been bad for a day or so so would stuff be holed up there. Coincidentely, a friend text to say had I seen the White Storks at Argeles! Spooky. Anyway, I hadn't but they weren't difficult to find 160 of them in a field by the main road. Encouraged that I was in the right place I head in search of some Lesser Kestrels (see last year) and nothing, well not one Kestrel.

I walked across the fields and there perched a top adult Woodchat Shrike with a young bird - great. The same area was teeming with Flycatchers mainly Spotted, a Redstart, Whitethroats, some Melodious Warblers and a couple of young Red Backed Shrikes. I scooted through to the lake but couldn't add to the list although I was fooled by a distant Starling for some time - the water on the lake is really low and I can't help feeling there is now too much cover in the middle for the fringes to be of interest, if that makes sense.

On the way back got some more views of the juv Woodchat and there were actually two! So 3 Woodchats and 2 Red Backs. The white wing patch very small on one - I got a picture of what I thought was the second bird but I'm now thinking wasn't the right one! Anyway, I was really searching for Ortolan, dreaming of a red rumped swallow (got a Sand Martin) and thinking today was a good day for a Wryneck - oh well no such luck...

PS I got 3 adult Black Shouldered Kites the other day with a new place nr Bartres, nearer Lourdes, and another sighting of the Rock Sparrow so happy he is still around!

PSS I have posted the second young which I think I made a mistake when photographing rather than there not being two birds - maybe I'll post elsewhere but I think this is actually one of the Red backs - abit annoying because I didn't get another shot of the second bird...
 

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Lots of migrants near the Pyrenees. At my Morlaas patch today, 20+ pied fly, 3 spotted fly, 3 garden warbler, 2 tree pipit, 14 yellow wagtail - and best of all, 2 ortolan recorded flying over during the night.
 
Lots of migrants near the Pyrenees. At my Morlaas patch today, 20+ pied fly, 3 spotted fly, 3 garden warbler, 2 tree pipit, 14 yellow wagtail - and best of all, 2 ortolan recorded flying over during the night.

We found a field with 24+ ortolan last year - been a couple of times but no success this year and no lesser kestrels yet. I had a very interesting calling pipit today...
Anyway, fps may be worth getting to military base ger or even soulor - there is a big day coming - I sense a pallid!
 
No Ortolan (yet - well maybe one dissappearing into the corn) and no Lesser Kestrels but nice couple of hours at Gavarnie today.

Someone base jumping off the Lammy cliff! The Lammy was sniffing around incase of mishaps then three Golden Eagles and 20 or so Griffons - only Griffons. I'm pretty sure had a Gos over Mourgat - very hefty and very direct flight - no white rump that Sparrowhawk gives the impression of having - anyway one that got away as it was distant.

Very happy to find a couple of Rock Thrush and a surprise Ring Ouzel - need both of these to kick around until my birdwatchers next week!! Couple of Serin but no Citril Finch - sorry Dragnil.
 

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Little bit of time spent round airport today - met Dragnil - very much enjoying my supply of garibaldi biscuits!

Anyway, up to 3, at one time, Black Shouldered Kites hovering in a line - awesome. Kestrel, distant Booted Eagle and Short toed Eagle, Buzzard, Red Kite and a Harrier sp but could get views anything more than through the airport fencing and a fair distance - it was female ringtail.

Small flocks of pipits (possibly the same on a circuit), Linnet, whinchat, stonechat, wheatear, corn bunting. Dragnil had a lark so probably the crested. Weather is set to be bad for a couple of days so this could be really good on sunday monday.

Great white egret on repass after shopping... and some very low griffons sarsan side of lourdes. I got the glimpse of a lone birder - half wondered if it was fat paul scholes, hire car, small telescope hand held in car - too late to stop when noticed - sorry....
 
Not me!

Not too much to report from me. A few ortolans, night herons and waders going over in the night, and plenty of common migrants in the morlaas area. Redshank, snipe and 2 LRplover at lac de Louet - but really scaling the barrel!
 
Thanks, Rosbifs; after what seems like four visits, a good view of your Eagle Owl at last, now what about the "easy peasy" Citril Finches? ;)
 
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And here is the big chap - although I think its the female. Photo taken through your telescope.

I think the male is 'creamier' in colour...
 

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Good morning out with Richard and Dragnil. Started at airport but quiet apart from a screech of brakes and debunk to get onto a harrier sp, where it remains just sp, and I was getting concerned that I had 'guaranteed' Black Shouldered Kite. Time was running out but I needn't have worried as we finallly located a distant bird that then turned into 2 3 4 6and then 7! It was the most common raptor of the morning.

Onto the military camp which without explanation was locked up - no hunt for Roller. Did my best to skirt the grounds and find some nice habitat to finally find some birds - it is uncanny how there is so little about. Marsh Harrier male put in an appearance.

Back cross country to stumble across a couple of Ortolan Buntings (there could have been up to 6). Richard kept finding Yellowhammer but id wasn't easy against the sun and through the car window. Fortuantely Dragnil spotted them on the deck and I managed some poor photos.

Onwards and another black shouldered kite and finally two red backed shrikes - I had literally said we haven't seen any shrikes and there they were.

On the way home we decided to spin round for the Egyptian Vulture - 2 put in an appearance with Short Toed Eagle and some Griffons...

Great birding and grafting for our rewards!
 

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What a day. Arrived at car park spot on 8.30 but rest a couple of minutes late. There was an early Short Toed Eagle and 3/4 Peregrines so I thought I would get the scope out - very light bird but not the Short Toed - hang on looks like a Black shouldered kite - bang MALE PALLID HARRIER! The light was fantastic as the sun was just hitting the rock face and the bird was migrating along the cliff face. Compose yourself get camera - hang on 'card' error - wheres the memory card. Too late watch the bird!!

The group arrive but park at the wrong end of the car park - all the time the bird disappearing - finally they get the message and pile out of the van the first seeing the bird before its gone! A dream bird for me. The 'wedge' unbelievably clear and seemingly pure white otherwise. Wow...

Everything else 'pales' into insignificance. Egyptian Vulture looked on, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Black Kite, another short toed eagle, Griffon Vultures... At the coffee stop a Booted Eagle.

Up to the Soulor and they had not picked up the bird but had seen a few bits. The wind and weather meant birds were very high and it was a case of working for everything. A couple of Golden Eagles distant, a Lammergeier distant, Honey Buzzards, common buzzard, a juv Monties Harrier, Osprey distant, Red Kite the 15th raptor for the group for the morning.

Great stuff. Afternoon picked up a few bits and pieces (a pair of closer Golden Eagles) with a Nightingale being the star pm bird. Finished by dropping back to Argeles to try and get better views of Egyptian Vulture when finally picked up a flying adult when packing up.
 
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There are only a handful of targets for Gavarnie and we, eventually, ticked most of the boxes - Citril, Rock Thrush included being the main ones but the significant 'unticked' boxes being Wallcreeper and lammy. The weather really didn't help as it broke pretty much immediately upon arriving at the hotel du cirque. It fortunately held off for the walk back (Crested Tit, Citril Finch upon leaving) and for lunch where we were joined by some Redstarts, Pied Flys and a Serin.

Back in the cars for some serious Lammy and Wallcreeper searching and the weather broke again. Managed to pick up 2 Rock Thrush just before though. Some Water Pipits kept us company as did some Wheatear then another Citril Finch hidden in, seemingly, the only cover for miles around. Eventually, a mixed flock of Linnet and Citril gave themselves up.

A quick visit at the lake produced a couple of waders and a(nother) male harrier over the fields but on a narrow busy road and high corn I find anywhere to stop nor get a view - it did have a Hen feel about it but sp!

1 1/2 days left and ground to cover and 'ticks' to find - I say find because birds are fair and few between but the 'quality' is great. Targets today Black Wood, Lammy, Alpine Accentor and a shrike!
 
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